Improvement in corsets



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

L. A. PALMER, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF AND FRANK E. HIBBARD, OF SAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT IN CORSETS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent'No. 96,95 l, dated November 16, 1869.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LEWIS A. PALMER, of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improved Oorset 5 and l hereby declare that the following is a full andexact description thereof, and I refer to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters ot' reference thereon, making a part of the specification, of which- Figure l is a perspective view of a completed corset embodying my improvements. Fig. 2 is a view ofthe four pieces of each half of a corset cut and shaped according to my mode,'and Fig. 3 a view of the pieces necessary to form each half of a corset cut and shaped according to the common -mode.

The object of my invention is to so shape the pieces forming a corset that the article, when made up, shall perfectly lit the wearer, and the material of which it is made shall be economized in cutting out the several parts; and it consists in so shaping the four pieces which form each half ofthe corset that the edges of the middle pieces, forming the central seam, shall be ofthe same. length and form, and those forming the side seams shall be ot'equal length and ditl'erent form, by which shape the parts, when united, shall form a corset having the requisite fullness at the breast and hip points, and so shaped at the waist portion as to perfectly and comfortably` tit the wearer.

Corsets are usually made up of several pieces, numbering as high as fifty pieces, shaped in various forms and united by vertical seams, the ed ges of which are formed alike, as will be seen by reference to Fig. 3, which illustrates a fonrpattern (or four-piece) corset-that is, a corset whose two halves areforxned of four pieces each. In this construction it will be observed that the edges of the seams which unite the parts are of the same shape and length-that is, the line a .of the pattern l is the exact reverse of the line a' of pattern 2, these two edges being united by a simple or matched seam. This is the case with the edges b and b' and c and c', and is the common practical mode of forming the several parts of corsets. In this mode of cutting out and making up corsets this pattern will fit the form of the wearer well only at the middle of the corset,or the Waist of the wearer, while at thc upper part, or over the breasts, and at the top of the back ot' the corset the parts cannot, be made to it closely and evenly, and at the edges ot' the seams,- at the top, are usually lapped over and stitched down, or they will lie in folds.

I construct each halt' ot' my corset of four pieces united by vertical seams, as shown in Fig. 2. The middle or side seam, (that which comes under the arm,) formed by uniting the pieces 3 and 4, is a matched seam-that is, the edges b b ot' the cloth united are cut and shaped alike, each edge having the same length and shape, and are laid or matched upon each other and united by a simple hand-seam or by machine. The other two seamsthose uniting the pieces 2 and 3 and the pieces 4 and -are drawn seams-that is to say, the edges a and a and c and c' are of the same length, but ot' dili'erent form, their shape being such as not to match. They are united stitch by stitch, which draw the edges together.

My pattern will save in cutting adozen corsets over the ordinary corset, as shown in Fig.

3, two yards ot' cloth, which of itself is a fair profit on the dozen corsets, and the tit to the form will be perfect from the top to the bottom 'of the corset, it bei-ng like the lit of a dress-coat to the form of the wearer.

A corset made in two parts, each ot' which is composed ot' four pieces, which are so shaped that the edges forming the middle seam shall be ofthe same length and form, unitedA by a matched seam, and those forming the side seams shall be of equal length and different form, united by drawn seams, substantially as described, and for the purpose set forth.

L. A.` PALMER.

Witnesses:

FRANK G. PARKER, J. L. NEWTON. 

